


Inosculation

by Naithom



Category: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
Genre: Families of Choice, Family Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Humor, Jack babysitting, Sick Character, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-15
Updated: 2020-11-15
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:08:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,040
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27568012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Naithom/pseuds/Naithom
Summary: Where Jack tells a story of an investigation while babysitting and Mary's son, William connects the dots.
Relationships: Jack Robinson & Prudence Stanley, Mary & Prudence Stanley, Phryne Fisher & Elizabeth MacMillan, Phryne Fisher & Prudence Stanley, Phryne Fisher/Jack Robinson, Prudence Stanley & Original Characters
Comments: 8
Kudos: 61





	Inosculation

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you again to my beta, FirstGenTrekkie, for catching my fluffs.

It was a standard Prudence Stanley affair, all the upper crust of Melbourne. 

Which meant, it was bright, shiny, opulent, and crushingly dull. Phryne and Jack had attended as ordered but had made their apologies for leaving early due to the Inspector’s required appearance in court the next morning. 

“Was this one of your joint efforts or did my niece allow you to handle a case singularly, Inspector?” Prudence quipped as she was walking them to the door. “Aunt P! I’ll have you know that we both have cases we deal with individually. We just tend to join forces on murders. That said, it’s best that he not appear to be haggard from being out late before testifying before Judge Montague.”

Prudence huffed as they reached the door, “More likely Horace Montague will be the one looking haggard. You can always tell what he did the night before…” Jack and Phryne smiled and finished her comment. “How he treats the clerks.” 

Prudence rolled her eyes and whined, “And here I thought I was sharing a confidence.” Phryne teasingly asked her aunt, “I know how Jack and I came upon that information, but I’d be interested in knowing how you came about it, Aunt P!” “Don’t be impertinent, girl, I’ve been on quite enough boards to know who to meet with at what time to get the best results.”

Just then, a small voice could be heard from the darkness of the stairs.

“Ampy! Ampy, I don’t feel good!”

A tiny blonde boy butt-scooted his way down the stairs with tears streaming down his face wearing only his diaper.

“William, what’s wrong, dear? Where’s your nightshirt?”

“Got sick, Ampy. Shirt was messy an’ Mum says not to make a mess.”

As Prudence picked him up, Jack quipped, “William, you follow direction better than some detectives I know.” The statement earned him a side-eye from the said detective who was in the process of checking William’s temperature. Instead of unduly worrying the child, Phryne simply nodded to her aunt. 

“Has Mac left as yet, Aunt P?”

“No, dear, why don’t you find her. Jack, while I go let Mary know that William isn’t feeling well, could he sit with you? William, would you like the Inspector to tell you a story about catching bad men while I get you a ginger ale for your stomach?”

The tyke sniffled and nodded. “I didn’t come off the stairs, Ampy.” The elder woman smiled and cupped his face with her hand. “I know, my darling, even not feeling well you are a good boy. Now I won’t be a moment.”  
Jack sat on the stairs and lifted William into his lap. “Well, Will, I know a story that you’ll like, I think. Do you know how you and your mother came to live with Mrs. Stanley, er, your Ampy?” The child’s eyes grew large and he shook his head.

“Your mother met Miss Fi…Miss Phryne when Miss Phryne and I were working to catch some bad men. Your mother gave her information that helped solve the crime and Miss Phryne asked her to stay at her house for a visit while Miss Phryne and I went and caught the bad men. While we were away, your Ampy came to the house. Now about that time, you decided that it was time to come meet your mum. Your mother had never had a baby before so she was nervous but she was looking forward to meeting you. Ampy told her not to be scared as she would help, and she did! And your mother, and Ampy, and Mrs. Williams, and Miss Phryne all said that you were a very sweet little boy and they were glad you came. And Ampy asked your mum if she would like for you and her to live here and she said yes. And you have been here ever since.”

The boy smiled. “Mummy and Ampy and I love each other. We’re family!” he announced. 

“Yes, you are!” 

William thought for a moment then asked, “Miss Phryne and Ampy love each other – they family?”

Jack nodded.

“You and Miss Phryne love each other – you family?”

Jack blushed slightly but seeing the innocent earnestness in the child’s eyes, he bent his head to William’s ear and spoke quietly.

“Does that mean we’re family?”

“William, what’s this about you being sick?” Mac and Mary came down the hall with Phryne and Prudence behind them.

The boy lifted his arms to his mother and she picked him up.

“Mummy, I woke up because my tummy hurt, and I got sick and it scared me. I took my pajamas off so I didn’t make a mess and came down the stairs sitting down and holding the railing and I didn’t come off the stairs. Mummy, if we love Ampy and we’re family and Ampy loves Miss Phryne and they’re family and Miss Phryne and ‘Spector Jack love each other and they’re family, does that make me and ‘Spector Jack family?”

Mary’s jaw dropped and she tried to answer her son’s question and still keep her position. 

“An amazing piece of logic for a young man who is still in diapers but the question I would have asked is does that make ‘Spector Jack and Ampy family – now there’s one that will throw the cat among the pigeons!”

That statement caused an eruption of laughter and a “Dr. McMillan, really!” from Prudence.

“You might as well call her Mac, Aunt P because given William’s infallible logic since she has been loved and part of my family since we were children, then she’s part of your family as well.”

Prudence Stanley would have liked to have treated the situation with the decorum she had been taught to use but the sight of her extended family surrounding a toddler who had spoken the truth while wearing nothing but a diaper made her change her mind. 

“I would then that this family take our youngest member upstairs so that Elizabeth might ascertain the reason for the stomach ache.”

In the decades to follow, William would tell his own children that that was the night that green apples had helped him recognize just how big his family really was.


End file.
